Game medium circulation control system

ABSTRACT

A game apparatus, which is to be installed in an island unit consisting of a number of parallel arranged game machines, comprises: an upper game medium reservoir for supplying game mediums to the individual game machines via a supply conveyer; a game medium counter having a counting display; and a game medium polishing machine for collecting the game mediums from the game medium counter, the game medium polishing machine communicating with the game medium reservoir.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a game medium circulation control system, andmore particularly to a slot-machine game apparatus which enables anautomatic and effective control of medal circulation in units of islandseach consisting of a number of parallel arranged slot machines.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

In this type of conventional slot-machine game apparatus, it is commonpractice for individual customers to bring medals gained from slotmachines for prizes to an adjustment corner for adjustment and for thesecollected medals to be returned to the individual slot machines afterbeing polished by a medal polishing machine.

However, it is inconvenient to individual customers to bring a lot ofmedals, which are heavy, to the adjustment corner. If it is crowded atthe adjustment corner, the customers will have a long wait foradjustments. Further, it is laborious and time-consuming to return theadjusted and collected medals to the individual slot machines afterpolishing.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

With the foregoing problems in view, it is an object of this inventionto provide a game apparatus which enables an automatic and effectivegame medium or medal circulation control in units of islands. Accordingto this invention, there is provided a game apparatus to be installed inunits of islands each consisting of a number of parallel arranged gamemachines, the apparatus comprising: an upper game medium reservoir forsupplying game mediums to the individual game machines via a supplyconveyer; a game medium counter having a counting display; and a gamemedium polishing machine for collecting the game mediums from the gamemedium counter, the game medium polishing machine communicating with thegame medium reservoir.

The game medium counter may be unitized with a printer or a cardread/writer or may be equipped with a disburse button to be used indispensing the game mediums after they are counted.

Therefore the medals gained from the individual game machines such asslot machines can be counted by the medal counter in units of islandsand the value resulting from this counting can be indicated on thecounting display. In the case where a printer or a card read/writer isconnected to the medal counter, a premium coupon or a gift card isdispensed so that a customer can exchange it for a prize. To return thecounted medals for reuse in a game, the disburse button is depressed sothat the medals counted by the medal counter are conveyed, together withthe spent medals discharged from the slot machines, to the medalpolishing machine where the medals are polished and then successivelyconveyed to the upper medal reservoir. From the medal reservoir, themedals can be supplied to the individual slot machines by the supplyconveyer. Thus it is possible to circulate game medals within a closedsystem, substantially without letting them out of the island.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front view showing an island of slot machines inwhich a game apparatus according to one embodiment of this invention isincorporated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a medal counter to be used in thisinvention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a printer or a card read/writer tobe used in this invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front view showing an island of slot machines inwhich a game apparatus according to another embodiment of this inventionis incorporated;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a modified medal counter to be used in this invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION

One embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 3.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of an island consisting of a number of parallelarranged slot machines, there being a medal dispenser D equipped betweeneach pair of adjacent slot machines A, A so that an amount of gamemedals corresponding to the value of paper currency inserted can bedispensed. A supply conveyer 1, extending from an upper medal reservoir2 disposed at an upper central portion of the island communicates withthe individual slot machines A and the individual medal dispensers D viarespective medal distributors 20. Above each slot machine A; a buttonswitch 7 is disposed. Under each slot machine A, a medal counter B,which is equipped with a hopper 8, a counting display 3, an adjustmentbutton 9, a counting start button 10 and a disburse button 6, isdisposed. Under each medal dispenser D, a printer or a card read/writerC, which is equipped with a status display 11, a premium coupon outletor a gift card outlet 12 and a card-reading-direction selecting switch13, is disposed, communicating with the lower portion of the individualslot machine A via a conveyer. Under each medal counter B, a lower medalreservoir 14 is provided communicating with the medal counter B via acollecting conveyer 4. A medal polishing machine 5 is disposed betweenthe upper and lower medal reservoirs 2, 14 for raising medals from thelower medal reservoir 14 to the upper medal reservoir 2 while polishing.Also between the upper and lower medal reservoirs 2, 14, a mainreservoir 15 is disposed which is equipped at its lower portion with aquantitative disburse device 16.

In the case where it is unnecessary to issue a premium coupon for theadjustment of medals, the printer for issuing premium coupons may beomitted.

FIGS. 4 and 5 shows another embodiment which is identical with theprevious embodiment except for the following. In this embodiment, aboveeach medal dispenser D there are disposed a medal counter B, which isequipped with two counting displays 3, two adjustment buttons 9, twodisburse buttons 6, two card-reading-direction selecting switches 13 andtwo premium coupon or a gift card outlets 12, and a printer or a cardread/writer C, which is unitized with the medal counter B.

FIG. 6 shows a modified medal counter B which is equipped with, inaddition to a counting display 3, an adjustment button 9 and twodisburse buttons 6, a game machine number 19, a switch 17 and a calllamp 18.

Alternatively, a single medal counter B may be installed at one end ofthe island, or two medal counters may be installed at a central portionof the island, namely, at front and rear sides of the medal polishingmachine.

When the medals gained from a slot machine A are put into the hopper 8,they are counted by the medal counter B and the result of this countingis indicated on the counting display 3. At that time, when theadjustment button 9 is depressed, a premium coupon or a gift card isdispensed from the outlet 12 of the printer or card read/writer C sothat the customer may bring it to the adjustment corner for exchangewith a premium or prize. To return the counted medals for reuse in thegame, the disburse button 6 is simply depressed. The medals counted bythe medal counter B are conveyed by the collecting conveyer 4 and arethen polished and raised to the upper medal reservoir 2 by the medalpolishing machine 5. Upon issuance of a supply request signal from theindividual slot machine A or the medal dispenser D, the medals stored inthe medal reservoir 2 are supplied to the slot machine A or the medaldispenser D by the supply conveyer 1, and keep being supplied until thesignal is canceled. When the medal reservoir 2 is filled up with medals,the overflowing medals are conveyed to the main reservoir 15 from anoverflow circuit. When the level in the medal reservoir 2 is lowered toactivate a level sensor, the quantitative disburse device 16 acts tosupply medals into the lower part of the medal polishing machine 5. Themedals used by a customer are supplied to the hopper in the slot machineA. When the hopper is filled with the medals, the overflowing medals areconveyed to the collecting conveyer 4. On the contrary, when the levelof the medals in the hopper is lowered to activate a level sensor, amedal supplier and the supply conveyer 1 are activated to continue thesupply of medals until the signal is canceled. Also upon issuance of asupply request signal from the hopper of the medal dispenser D, themedal supplier and the supply conveyer 1 are activated to continue thesupply of medals until the signal is canceled.

Thus the circulation of medals can be controlled in such a manner thatmedals are circulated within the island, and the need to remove themfrom the island is substantially obviated.

This invention can also applied to pachinko game machines. In such acase, it is possible to circulate pachinko balls as game mediums withina closed system, substantially without letting them be removed from theisland.

UTILITY OF INVENTION

According to this invention, game mediums such as medals gained fromindividual game machines such as slot machines are counted in units ofislands by the medal counter, and the medals counted by the medalcounter are circulated, together with the spent medals discharged fromthe slot machines, while being polished by the medal polishing machine.Thus it is possible to circulate medals in the island efficiently,substantially free of letting them be removed from the island, so thatthe medals can be conveniently used by customers, thus realizing a gamemachine system such as a slot machine game apparatus having a goodoperativity. In the case where a premium coupon or a gift cardcorresponding to the number of gained medals is to be dispensed aftercounting, the customer may bring only it to the adjustment corner forexchange with a premium or prize. To return the counted medals for reusein game, the disburse button is simply depressed.

We claim:
 1. A game medium circulation control system having a pluralityof game machines, which controls game mediums to be used in the gamemachines, comprising: a game medium counter for counting said gamemediums, which is provided in each of said plurality of game machines;and a distributing/collecting means for distributing said game mediumswhich are used commonly in said plurality of game machines into each ofsaid plurality of game machines and collecting the same from each ofsaid game medium counters.
 2. A game medium circulation control systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said distributing/collecting meanscomprises: a game medium reservoir for storing game mediums which areused commonly in said plurality of game machines; a supply conveyerconnected to said game medium reservoir for conveying game mediums forsupply from said game medium reservoir; a game medium distributor forsupplying game mediums conveyed by said supply conveyer to each of saidplurality of game machines; a collecting conveyer for collecting thegame mediums counted by said game medium counter; and a game mediumpolishing machine which communicates with said collecting conveyer andsaid game medium reservoir so as to supply said game mediums to saidgame medium reservoir.
 3. A game medium circulation control systemaccording to claim 1, further comprising a game medium dispenser fordispensing game mediums supplied to said game medium distributor, whichis provided one for two of said game machines, said game mediumdispenser having at least one of a printer and a card read/writer whichoutput the number of the game mediums counted by said game mediumcounter.
 4. A game medium circulation control system according to claim1, wherein said game medium counter has a counter display and a disbursebutton for dispensing counted game mediums; and said game machinesdispenses game mediums supplied to said game medium distributor whensaid disburse button is depressed.
 5. A game medium circulation controlsystem according to claim 1, wherein said game medium counter has aprinter and a card read/writer for outputting the number of game mediumsrespectively.